---
description: >-
  The enabled meta-argument allows you to conditionally create or skip a single
  resource or module instance based on a boolean value.
---

# The `enabled` Meta-Argument

:::note
A given resource or module block cannot use `enabled` together with `count` or `for_each`.
:::

The `enabled` meta-argument in a `lifecycle` block provides a cleaner way to conditionally create or skip a
single resource or module instance. Unlike the traditional `count = var.enabled ? 1 : 0`
workaround, which requires array indexing to access single instances, `enabled` allows
direct access when the resource is created and properly handles the null state when disabled.

## Basic Syntax

`enabled` is a meta-argument that goes inside a `lifecycle` block. It accepts expressions that turn into boolean values to determine whether the resource or module should be created.

```hcl
variable "create_instance" {
  type    = bool
  default = true
}

resource "aws_instance" "example" {
  # ...
  lifecycle {
    enabled = var.create_instance
  }
}
```

When `enabled` is `true` (or not specified), the resource behaves normally. When `enabled`
is `false`, the resource is not created and evaluates to `null`.

## Accessing Disabled Resources

When a resource might be disabled, it evaluates to `null` and cannot be accessed directly.
You must use conditional expressions to handle this safely:

```hcl
# Using try() - most concise but masks other errors
output "instance_id" {
  value = try(aws_instance.example.id, "not-created")
}

# Using null check - most verbose but clearest intent
output "instance_id" {
  value = aws_instance.example != null ? aws_instance.example.id : "not-created"
}
```

Attempting to directly access a resource configured with `enabled = false` will result in an error during `plan` or `apply`:

```
│ Error: Attempt to get attribute from null value
│
│   on main.tf line 10, in output "instance_id":
│   10:     value = aws_instance.example.id
│     ├────────────────
│     │ aws_instance.example is null
│
│ This value is null, so it does not have any attributes.
```

## Restrictions

The `enabled` meta-argument cannot be used together with [`count`](../../language/meta-arguments/count.mdx) or [`for_each`](../../language/meta-arguments/for_each.mdx), as these
meta-arguments serve different purposes. Use `enabled` for conditionally creating
single-instance resources, [`count`](../../language/meta-arguments/count.mdx) for creating multiple numbered instances, or
[`for_each`](../../language/meta-arguments/for_each.mdx) for creating multiple named instances.

The `enabled` meta-argument cannot use:
- Unknown values (values not known until apply)
- Sensitive values
- Null values
- Ephemeral values
- Non-boolean values
